Container and closure for same



Nox r. 22, 1966 a. v. MUMFORD CONTAINER AND CLOSURE FOR SAME Filed Oct. 6, 1965 United States Patent 3,286,867 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE FOR SAME George V. Mumford, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 493,353 9 Claims. (Cl. 215-40) My invention relates to glass containers and closures for same and has for an important object, among others, the provision of a metal closure cap embodying infestation-proof characteristics.

In many presentday commercial packages (metal capped bottles and jars, for example) insects may crawl into the space between the closure cap skirt and the glass finish or container neck. Should the insects die and remain in this area, they may easily be picked up by the contents when the latter are poured from the container. Such, very obviously, is most undesirable.

An important object of my invention, therefore, is to provide simple, effective means for overcoming the above noted condition and to this end I position a side-seal gasket internally of the lower margin of the closure cap attaching skirt, rather than in an area near or in contact with the panel or top wall of the cap. Thus entry of insects, etc. into the space between the cap skirt and container is impossible of attainmemnt.

Another object of my invention is the provision in a package of the above character, of means facilitating removal of a closure cap as described, such being a plurality of cam surfaces on the container exterior which engage protuberances on the cap and move the latter axially upward incident to rotation of the cap in one direction on the container.

A further object of my invention is the provision in a package of the above character of a glass container having a neck or finish embodying an annular frusto-conical exterior side-sealing surface with an annular bead, abutment or stop at its upper margin and thereabove an annular series of inclined camming surfaces which function to elevate a closure cap when rotated in the proper direction on the container.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a losure cap of the above character in which bosses or protuberances on the skirt designed for engagement with the camming surfaces vary in axial dimension, or height, to the end that incident to cap rotation for removal purposes, one side of the cap will lift ahead of the other and thereby quickly break the container vacuum.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a container and closure cap embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the neck of the container showing the camming means.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the internal bosses or projections on the cap skirt being of non-uniform axial extent.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention it comprises a glass container having a cylinder-like neck 11 defining a mouth 12 encircled by a rim portion 13. Externally of the neck 11 and well below said rim is a radially thickened portion 14 shaped to create an annular, band-like, upwardly inwardly tapered or frusto-conical seal-surface 15. At the upper margin this tapered surface merges with an annular bead-like stop 16 or abutment, which, as will be evident presently, aids in releasably holding the closure cap C against premature or accidental displacement during retorting and later handling. Just above the stop 16 is camming means for cooperation with ele- "ice ments of the closure cap C in removal of the latter, as will be apparent presently. This camming means, in its illustrated form, comprises an annular series of radial projections 17, each of substantial circumferential extent and having a circumferentially inclined or tapered top surface 18 designed for engagement with bosses or internal projections on the attaching skirt of the closure cap C.

This closure cap C, which may be formed of sheet metal, comprises a disk-like panel 19 or top portion, and a depending annular attaching skirt 20. This skirt is of generally cylindrical form, with its lower margin 21 flared and terminating in an inward upward curl 22, or hollow bead, which firmly grasps a marginal portion of an annular sealing gasket 23. The gasket 23 lies against the inner surface of the flared portion 21 and when in sealing position in part contacts the cylindrical portion of the skirt immediately adjacent said flared portion. Above the flared section, the skirt is provided with an annular series of inwardly extending projections 24, or bosses, which are produced by external indentations so'that these bosses are hollow. They may well be elongated slightly in an axial direction. The inner or lower end of these bosses, when the cap is in container sealing position, will be positioned adjacent the lower end of the inclined upper surface 18 of the radial projections 17 or camming means. Thus, it is apparent that with rotation of the closure cap C in a counterclockwise direction, the bosses will ride up the inclined surfaces 18 and effect bodily axial upward movement of the cap relative to the jar, thus quickly breaking any vacuum present and greatly facilitating cap removal. A plastisol foam liner 25 for the cap panel 19 prevents passage of the packed product over the rim 13.

If preferred, one or possibly two adjacent bosses 24 (FIG. 4) may have the cam engaging lower ends nearer the gasket than the remaining bosses, viz., their length axially of the cap is somewhat greater than the others. Thus, with rotation of the cap for removal purposes, one side will move upward ahead of the other in much the fashion that occurs when one uses a lever in removing a conventional side-seal closure cap.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a cylinder-like mouth defining neck, said neck having an external annular band-like side-seal surface spaced below the mouth, cam means externally of the neck between said mouth and sideseal surface, a closure cap telescoped over the neck and comprising a panel, an annular depending attaching skirt at the periphery of the panel, an annular sealing gasket secured internally of the skirt at its free edge for engagement with said side-seal surface, and internal protuberances on the cap skirt positioned for contact with said cam means incident to rotation of the cap in one direction relative to the container thereby to effect bodily axial movement of the cap.

2. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the cam means being an annular series of inclined rib-like projections formed as integral parts of the neck.

3. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the bandlike sealing surface tapering upwardly and inwardly toward the mouth.

4. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the protuberances on the cap skirt having lower cam means engaging surfaces with at least one such surface being nearer the sealing gasket than the remaining protuberances.

5. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the cam means being an annular series of circumferentially extending radial projections, each having an inclined upper surface.

6. A glass container comprising a cylinder-like neck defining a mouth, said neck having an external annular band-like side-sealing surface below the mouth, said surface extending inwardly at the bottom to meet the upper portion of a substantially cylindrical portion of reduced diameter, said surface tapering upwardly and inwardly, an annular bead-like stop at the upper margin of the tapered surface, and an annular series of external radial projections on the neck just above the stop, each projection having a circumferentially inclined cam surface.

7. A sheet metal closure cap comprising a disk-like panel, a depending annular attaching skirt at the periphery of said panel, the skirt having a flared lower portion and a cylindrical portion merging with the upper margin of said lower portion, an annular sealing gasket anchored in the flared portion and extending in part along the cylindrical portion and an annular series of internal projections formed on the skirt above the gasket, said projections 41 adapted to contact cam means on a container neck for cap removal purposes.

8. In a closure as defined in claim 7, the projections being hollow axially elongated bosses and at least one of the bosses having an end nearer the gasketthan the remaining projections.

9. A closure as defined in claim 7 and a plastisol liner for the interior surface of the panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,326,809 8/1943 White 21544 5/1965 vSchaich 215-46 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER HAVING A CYLINDER-LIKE MOUTH DEFINING NECK, SAID NECK HAVING AN EXTERNAL ANNULAR BAND-LIKE SIDE-SEAL SURFACE SPACED BELOW THE MOUTH, CAM MEANS EXTERNALLY OF THE NECK BETWEEN SAID MOUTH AND SIDE-SEAL SURFACE, A CLOSURE CAP TELESCOPED OVER THE NECK AND COMPRISING A PANEL, AN ANNULAR DEPENDING ATTACHING SKIRT AT THE PERIPHERY OF THE PANEL, AN ANNULAR SEALING GASKET SECURED INTERNALLY OF THE SKIRT AT ITS FREE EDGE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SIDE-SEAL SURFACE, AND INTERNAL PROTURBERANCES ON THE CAP SKIRT POSITIONED FOR CONTACT WITH SAID CAM MEANS ADJACENT TO ROTATION OF THE CAP IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CONTAINER THEREBY TO EFFECT BODILY AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE CAP. 